The numerical model of additive manufactured carbon fiber reinforced polymer under mechanical loading

Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques can be applied for the production of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) elements. This paper aims to present a numerical modelling of tensile and flexural (three-point bending) testing of 3D-printed CFRP specimens as virtual tool using ABAQUS. A 3D unidirectional composite model at the macro-scale has been established to assess the numerical parameters of samples such as its mechanical strength and strain at failure. These simulations can replicate the experimental tensile and flexural testing in which the characterization of specimens' mechanical properties is obtained. A fairly good comparison was obtained between the predicted results from numerical models at the macroscale level with available experimental data.